Family Description: Herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate, opposite or rosulate, exstipulate. Flowers small (florets), hermaphrodite, functionally male, female, or sterile, in terminal or axillary, usually pedunculate capitula, surrounded by an involucre of bracts. Capitula solitary or in corymbose, less frequently racemose, inflorescences. Calyx-limb (pappus) absent or represented by a corona, auricle, scales, setae or simple or plumose hairs. Corolla of 3 main types: (a) tubular, with (3-)4- to 5-lobed limb, actinomorphic or rarely weakly zygomorphic; (b) tubular, with a 2-lipped limb; (c) ligulate, with a short tube and the limb prolonged on one side into a usually 3- or 5-toothed ligule; female florets sometimes without a corolla or with a filiform corolla. Stamens 5, epipetalous; anthers usually connate into a tube round the style, often caudate or sagittate at base and with apical appendages. Ovary inferior, 1-locular; ovule solitary, basal, anatropous; style solitary, with 2 stigmatic branches. Fruit a cypsela (achene).